AMR Newshttp://www.astonmartin.com/RacingAMR Partner Team NewsMedia Site NewsAMR NewsCorporate Public NewsEvolution Academy NewsPublic NewsMandarin NewsChinese NewsInvestor Relationsurn:uuid:30812834-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsMedia Site NewsAMR NewsCorporate Public NewsEvolution Academy NewsPublic NewsEvolution Academy line up announcedThe 2015 Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy squad has been unveiled at the manufacturer's state-of-the-art headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire UK and includes stars of the future who will race in four of the world's top national and international GT championships.Mon, 30 Mar 2015 12:46:30 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/news-images/evoacademy.jpg?sfvrsn=2" /> <p><em>30 March 2015, Gaydon:</em> The 2015 Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy squad has been unveiled at the manufacturer's state-of-the-art headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire UK and includes stars of the future who will race in four of the world's top national and international GT championships. </p> <p>The ten 'up-and-coming' drivers, selected by a panel of judges at Aston Martin Racing, have been named as: Matt Bell (GB); Jamie Chadwick (GB); Jade Edwards (GB); Jody Fannin (GB); Jake Giddings (GB); Ross Gunn (GB); Daniel Lloyd (GB); Devon Modell (GB); Dennis Strandberg (SE); and Jonathan Venter (AU).</p> <p>"We are extremely pleased with the line-up of the inaugural Evolution Academy," commented Aston Martin Racing's Team Principal John Gaw. "There's no doubting we have ten very talented participants but the question is, who will prove to us that they have what it takes to be an Aston Martin Racing works driver?"</p> <p>All racing in Aston Martin Vantage GT4s and GT3s this season, the youngsters aged 16-25 will be competing in the British GT Championship, Blancpain Endurance Series, GT Asia and 24H Series. At the end of the season, the driver who has shown the most promise both on- and off-track will be offered an Aston Martin Racing works team contract. </p> <p>"When looking at the applications we took a lot into consideration," explained Aston Martin Racing Customer Programme Manager Andrew Williamson. "We looked at what racing ability, professionalism and dedication they have shown so far and then we tried to assess what potential they have.&rdquo;</p> <p>Starting with an introduction to the brand and communications workshop and pre-season fitness assessments, the Evolution Academy drivers were equipped to start their seasons in the Aston Martin Racing fold.</p> <p>"We certainly weren't looking for the finished article,&rdquo; added Williamson. &ldquo;Instead, we're looking for someone who will become a well-rounded GT racer, someone who could be the team's Darren Turner of the future. We have put together a programme of training that draws from our works team&rsquo;s excellent pool of resources and continually assesses the participants&rsquo; development."</p> <p>The drivers will now start or continue with their 2015 season with the support of the Evolution Academy panel, the wider Aston Martin Racing team and the works drivers who will act as mentors. Each driver will be invited to attend World Endurance Championship races with the team and will be given access to confidential engineering and technical briefings.</p> <p>More information about Evolution Academy or to learn more about the driver line-up go to <a href="http://www.astonmartin.com/racing/evolution-academy">www.astonmartin.com/racing/evolution-academy.</a></p>urn:uuid:85032834-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingCorporate Public NewsAMR NewsPublic NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin Racing Expecting Strongest Year YetA record number of Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3s and V8 Vantage GT4s will contest the world&rsquo;s top GT championships and events this year and - with podiums in Dubai 24 Hours, Bathurst 12 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours already recorded - the season has started strongly for the brand&rsquo;s customer teams around the world.Wed, 25 Mar 2015 17:02:06 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/The-TF-Sport-GT3s-will-contest-the-British-GT-Championship.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 25 March 2015 </em>- A record number of Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3s and V8 Vantage GT4s will contest the world&rsquo;s top GT championships and events this year and - with podiums in Dubai 24 Hours, Bathurst 12 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours already recorded - the season has started strongly for the brand&rsquo;s customer teams around the world.</p> <p>At the British GT Championship media day today (25 March), Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s Team Principal John Gaw stood in a paddock boasting seven Vantage GT3s and six Vantage GT4s and explained why he believes this year is set to be the most successful yet: &ldquo;We have grown our customer base over the last few years and we have a record number racing in 2015, but our main aim was to attract a high caliber of teams. We believe that we have done this and this reflects in the results we are achieving already this year.&rdquo;</p> <p>In order to support its customer teams, Aston Martin Racing has launched the new-for-2015 Evolution Academy, a training programme for drivers aged 16-25 who all race Aston Martins.</p> <p>In addition, Aston Martin Racing is once again supporting its customers by offering its works drivers, including the likes of Darren Turner (GB), Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE), Pedro Lamy (PT), Richie Stanaway (NZ) and Jonny Adam (GB), to strengthen driver line-ups and offer car set-up advice.</p> <p>&ldquo;We believe that by developing our customers&rsquo; young drivers we are strengthening their teams,&rdquo; Customer Programmes Manager Andrew Williamson explained. &ldquo;Our customer teams have some of the top talent in GT racing and we are pleased to be able to offer our pool of works drivers to enhance their line-ups even further.</p> <p>&ldquo;Our Vantage race cars have had great success already this year in some of the toughest endurance challenges, proving the reliability and durability of the product, and we are looking forward to supporting them throughout 2015.&rdquo;</p> <p>All the cars being campaigned by Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s customer teams are derived from the sports car maker&rsquo;s road-going Vantage range. Today&rsquo;s Vantage line-up &ndash; comprising four distinct models using one of two advanced engines; V8 Vantage, V8 Vantage S and V12 Vantage S &ndash; represents a clear and strong link between road car and race car.</p> <p>&ldquo;The Vantage GT3 is well-suited to most tracks and is designed to be easy to drive and the Vantage GT4 is unrivalled as an entry-level GT car,&rdquo; concluded Williamson. &ldquo;This is testament to our team of engineers, who understand what is required from each machine.&rdquo;</p> <p><b>On home soil</b></p> <p>In Britain, the home of Aston Martin Racing, seven V12 Vantage GT3s and six V8 Vantage GT4s will contest the British GT Championship looking to repeat the 2013 championship and 2014 GT4 class wins recorded by partner team Beechdean AMR.</p> <p>Also in the UK, at least one Vantage GT3 and one Vantage GT4 will run in the GT Cup and Silverstone 24 Hours.</p> <p><b>Competing in Europe</b></p> <p>Wider afield, two Vantage GT3s will battle it out in the highly-competitive Blancpain Endurance Series with three already committed to take part in the centre-piece of the European-based championship, Spa 24 Hours.</p> <p>Also in Europe, new Aston Martin Racing customer team Massive Motorsport has entered a Vantage GT3 into the European Le Mans Series GTC class with ex-works driver Kristian Poulsen (DN) and there will be Vantage GT4s in 24H Series and European GT4 Series.</p> <p>Vantage GT4s will also continue to feature prominently in the N&uuml;rburgring VLN series, where customer team Mathol Racing has dominated the SP10 class for GT4 cars for several years, and as many as seven Aston Martins are regularly seen tackling the mighty Nordschleife.</p> <p><b>Racing in the States</b></p> <p>Across the Atlantic, Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s North American partner team TRG-AMR, along with supporting other teams, are once again contesting the Tudor United Sportscar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge.</p> <p><b>Asia and Australia</b></p> <p>Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s Asian partner team Craft-Bamboo Racing will once again enter GT Asia with its pair of Vantage GT3s. The team has its sights set on the championship win and is feeling confident following a third place in Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia earlier this year.</p>urn:uuid:42562734-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingMedia Site NewsCorporate Public NewsAMR NewsPublic NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin unveils ambitious 2015 race programmeAston Martin is today announcing its largest and most ambitious works race programme to date, comprising a five-car campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and two GT3 entries in the N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours.Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:47:28 Z<p><em>18 March 2015, Gaydon</em>: Aston Martin is today announcing its largest and most ambitious works race programme to date, comprising a five-car campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and two GT3 entries in the N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours.</p> <p>In its eleventh year of competition Aston Martin Racing returns to the WEC with three Vantage GTEs in the GTE Pro class and two cars in the GTE Am class. Looking to add to its impressive tally of 19 race wins and three championship titles, the team aims to claim the coveted GT manufacturer&rsquo;s title, as well as both GT titles at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p> <p>Meanwhile, in its third year competing at the N&uuml;rburgring in the world-famous endurance race&rsquo;s top SP9 class for GT3 cars Aston Martin Racing is doubling its entry, underlining the British sport car brand&rsquo;s commitment to top-level GT racing. </p> <p>&nbsp;All the cars being campaigned in the WEC, at Le Mans and at the N&uuml;rburgring are derived from the sports car maker&rsquo;s road-going Vantage range. Today&rsquo;s Vantage line-up &ndash; comprising three distinct models using one of two advanced engines; V8 Vantage, V8 Vantage S and V12 Vantage S &ndash; represents a clear and strong link between road car and race car. </p> <p>CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: &ldquo;Announcing our largest racing programme to date ten years to the day after Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s debut win at Sebring 12 Hours clearly shows how the team has progressed, building year-on-year on its success.</p> <p>&ldquo;Our multiple wins last year underlines our ability to perform at the highest level and, as we look forward to the 2015 season, we&rsquo;re anticipating another exciting and highly competitive year of exhilarating GT racing in the WEC, as well as at Le Mans and the N&uuml;rburgring.&rdquo; </p> <p>Aston Martin Racing&rsquo; s WEC campaign will continue to benefit from the support of long time partners Gulf whose famous livery will feature on three of the works cars, while more recent partners Hanergy and Valero will be represented with their own new liveries on the other two GTE challengers. Meanwhile for the N&uuml;rburgring, the cars will once again carry the iconic colours of Bilstein and Castrol.</p> <p>Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s 2015 season starts with The Prologue, the official WEC test session at Circuit Paul Ricard in France on 28 and 29 March. The opening round of the championship, the Six Hours of Silverstone, takes place on 12 April and N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours begins on 16 May. </p> <p>Join in with the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag <strong>#teamAMR</strong>.</p>urn:uuid:70232334-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsDouble podium for Aston Martin in thrilling Bathurst 12 HoursAston Martin Racing partner team Craft-Bamboo Racing finished a thrilling Bathurst 12 Hours in third overall, with its V12 Vantage GT3 crossing the line just 2.8-seconds behind the leader in a dramatic four-way last-lap battle.Wed, 11 Feb 2015 09:38:54 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/CBR-2---Nathan-Wong---Bathurst-12-Hour.jpg" /> <p><em>Bathurst, 9 February 2015</em> - Aston Martin Racing partner team Craft-Bamboo Racing finished a thrilling Bathurst 12 Hours in third overall, with its V12 Vantage GT3 crossing the line just 2.8-seconds behind the leader in a dramatic four-way last-lap battle.</p> <p>Also claiming a podium position, Aston Martin St Gallen took second place in the GT4 class, in a race that saw all four entries from the brand cross the line despite a record number of safety cars. </p> <p>The #97 V12 Vantage GT3&nbsp; - driven by Aston Martin Racing works drivers Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE), Alex MacDowall (GB) and two-times Bathurst 12 Hours winner Darryl O'Young (HK) - started the race from fifth following a strong qualifying session from M&uuml;cke in his maiden weekend on the Panorama Mountain circuit. </p> <p>Throughout the 12 hours, the team battled it out within the top five and, on the last lap, M&uuml;cke was in fourth. In a heroic last battle for a spot on the podium, the 33-year-old German closed the gap and made his move on the Bentley, taking the position and crossing the line in third. </p> <p>"The V12 Vantage GT3 was fantastic all week and the Craft-Bamboo Racing team did an amazing job to give us a car that could get on the podium in its first attempt at the race.</p> <p>&ldquo;Going into the final lap, I had my sights on the top three and I was determined to get the result that the whole team deserved. Along with the Audi, I applied the pressure to the Bentley and managed to get past on the final corner. It was a great way to end a fantastic week in Australia."</p> <p>The Aston Martin St Gallen team headed to Bathurst with the aim of repeating its 2013 podium and the small team from Switzerland will leave the Mountain with its mission complete. </p> <p>Dr Andreas Baenziger and Dr Florian Kamelger, dealer principals at the Aston Martin St Gallen dealership, qualified in second place and led their class for much of the race, often running within the top half of the grid overall. When the chequered flag dropped they crossed the line in second place, the team's best result at Bathurst to-date. </p> <p>"We are so happy for the team that worked hard to prepare a car that was just perfect," commented Kamelger. "As expected, the race was a long and tough one. We are extremely proud that we could finish second in class on this demanding track here Down Under."</p> <p>It was a solid maiden weekend for Banbury-based team Motionsport and its V12 Vantage GT3. The team quickly got to grips with the 6.0-litre 600bhp machine to have a trouble-free race. After 12 hours, the all-British line-up of Gordon Shedden, Ben Gower and Pete Storey crossed the line in eighth in the Pro-Am class and 23rd overall. </p> <p>Just behind, in ninth place in the Pro-Am class, the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing V12 Vantage GT3 of Jonathan Venter (AU), Jean Marc Merlin (FR) and Frank Yu (HK) crossed the line to complete a 100 per cent finishing rate for the Aston Martin entries. </p> <p>"What a exciting race that was," commented Aston Martin Racing Team Principal John Gaw. "Congratulations to Craft-Bamboo Racing for its overall podium result and to Aston Martin St Gallen for the GT4 podium - both huge achievements. </p> <p>"It was a tough race that had a record number of safety cars, so for all of our teams to cross the line is a success in itself. All our teams represented our brand exceptionally well and our cars ran pretty much trouble-free. </p> <p>"With a class podium for the Strata 21 V12 Vantage GT3 in Dubai 24 Hours and a pole position at Daytona 24 Hours a fortnight ago, this is a great start to the year for us with our factory-supported customer teams." </p> <p>The 2015 V12 Vantage GT3 customer programmes will be announced in the coming weeks.</p>urn:uuid:12d32234-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martins take on the MountainAston Martin Racing customer teams Craft-Bamboo Racing, Motionsport and Aston Martin St. Gallen will all take on Australia’s biggest endurance racing event, Bathurst 12 Hours, this weekend (6-8 February).Thu, 05 Feb 2015 09:16:00 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/Craft-Bamboo-Racing-pair-of-Vantage-GT3s.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 4 February 2015</em><em>&nbsp;</em>- Aston Martin Racing customer teams Craft-Bamboo Racing, Motionsport and Aston Martin St. Gallen will all take on Australia&rsquo;s biggest endurance racing event, Bathurst 12 Hours, this weekend (6-8 February).</p> <p>Craft-Bamboo Racing and Motionsport will be recorded in Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s history books as they enter the first V12 Vantage GT3s to contest the 12-hour race, something that Team Principal John Gaw says is an exciting step in the British brand&rsquo;s success in the top GT races in the world.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had great success with our V12 Vantage GT3 around the world,&rdquo; he commented. &ldquo;We had five entries in Spa 24 Hours, finished fifth in N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours and had five consecutive pole positions in the United Sports Car Championship including Daytona 24 Hours.</p> <p>&ldquo;Bathurst 12 Hours is one of the big GT races and to have cars battling it out for the overall win is very exciting.&rdquo;</p> <p>Craft-Bamboo Racing will race for overall honours with its #97 Vantage GT3 driven by Aston Martin Racing works drivers Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) and Alex MacDowall (GB) and two-time race-winner Darryl O&rsquo;Young (HK).</p> <p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be taking the Aston Martin Racing brand to Mount Panorama,&rdquo; commented MacDowall, who will scale the 6.2km-long Mount Panorama closed-road circuit for the first time. &ldquo;Bathurst 12 Hours is one of the big iconic endurance races and it will be great to see the Vantage GT3 battling out for the win... to be driving it myself is really exciting.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Asia-based team will also enter an identical V12 Vantage GT3 in the Pro-Am class with drivers Jean-Marc Merlin (FR), Frank Yu (HK) and Jonathan Venter (AU) who, despite being just 18 years old, has competed in Bathurst 12 Hours twice and hopes to lead the team to class victory.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;I'm really excited to race with Craft-Bamboo Racing in Bathurst 12 Hours,&rdquo; said the young Australian. &ldquo;It's a great opportunity to gain experience and continue the learning from my GT Asia races with the team last season. The Aston Martin is very strong and, being on Michelin tyres, it is the perfect package for us here in Bathurst.&rdquo;</p> <p>New Aston Martin Racing team, Motionsport, will also be looking for the Pro-Am class win in its<a href="http://CompareInsure.com.au">CompareInsure.com.au</a>-sponsored V12 Vantage GT3 and all-British line-up of Pete Storey, Ben Gower and Gordon Shedden.</p> <p>2012 BTCC champion Shedden, who contests the race for the second time, commented: &ldquo;We certainly have unfinished business at Bathurst after last year! The Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 will be a fantastic car to have round the Mountain and it will be great to be at the sharp end of the race.&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GT4 class, Aston Martin St. Gallen will return to the Mountain looking for class victory with its V8 Vantage GT4. The team, which includes Swiss drivers Dr. Andreas Baenziger and Dr. Florian Kamelger, will be hoping to repeat its podium result of 2013.</p> <p>Bathurst 12 Hours starts at 0550hrs local time on Sunday 8 February. Join the Aston Martin Racing teams on social media using the hashtag #teamAMR.</p>urn:uuid:c7a02134-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martin enters full works team in Daytona 24 HoursAston Martin Racing's works team will contest Daytona 24 Hours this weekend (24 January) with long-standing drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and new-comer to the team Mathais Lauda (AT), in the Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTE.Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:24:17 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/2000_WEC2014_Rnd7_Bahrain.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 21 January 2015</em>&nbsp;- Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s works team will contest Daytona 24 Hours this weekend (24 January) with long-standing drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and new-comer to the team Mathais Lauda (AT), in the Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTE.</p> <p>In last weekend&rsquo;s ROAR before 24 &ndash; the Daytona 24 Hours official test session &ndash; the team started strongly, when it&rsquo;s #98 Aston Martin went fastest in practice one, beating off competition from Porsche, Ferrari and Corvette. After eight sessions, of which it topped half, the team&rsquo;s combined time placed it second fastest overall.</p> <p>Lamy, who set the fastest lap in practice one commented: &ldquo;Practice went very well and we were all pleased with our progress throughout the weekend. The Vantage GTE has proven itself to be one of the best GT cars in the world so we are pleased to be racing it in America at Daytona 24 Hours.&rdquo;</p> <p>The race, the opening round of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship (TUSCC), is also the first round of the National American Endurance Championship (NAEC). The NAEC comprises of four TUSCC endurances races to form a separate series.</p> <p>&ldquo;Like the TUSCC, the NAEC is very attractive to us as a manufacturer,&rdquo; said Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;We are focused on getting a good result in Daytona and then we can look at plans for the rest of the year. We certainly have one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid this weekend; our four pre-existing drivers are all very experienced in the car and we&rsquo;re looking forward to seeing how Mathais performs.&rdquo;</p> <p>Lauda, son of three-time F1 World Champion Niki Lauda, is best known for his career in GP2 and, more recently, DTM, but this is his first move into GT racing.</p> <p>&ldquo;We have a strong line-up for Daytona,&rdquo; said Turner who now enters his 11th year with Aston Martin Racing. &ldquo;There have been a few rule changes since the last time we raced here. We can now run our low downforce &lsquo;Le Mans&rsquo; set up, which will make us more competitive. It&rsquo;s always a fun event - everyone is itching to get back into their race cars after the Christmas break so let&rsquo;s hope we can come away from Daytona with a good result to start the year off with.&rdquo;</p> <p>It is also the first race of the 2015 season for Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s North American partner team TRG-AMR. The California-based team will run a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s in the 24-hour race, in a bid to take GTD-class honours.</p> <p>Christina Nielsen (DN), driver in the #007 Vantage GT3, commented: &ldquo;The ROAR is when the real fun of the season begins. We are heading there with a great car, a great team, and we collectively have one goal in mind - winning the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona!&rdquo;</p> <p>The race, first held in 1962, takes place on the 5.73km-long Daytona International Speedway course in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 2015 Daytona 24 Hours starts at 14:10 local time on Saturday 24 January.</p>urn:uuid:a5a72034-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingEvolution Academy NewsPublic NewsCorporate Public NewsMedia Site NewsAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin Racing launches landmark Evolution AcademyAston Martin Racing is launching a young driver programme, the Evolution Academy, which offers a coveted 2016 Aston Martin Racing works driver contract to the most successful participant of the season.Wed, 07 Jan 2015 14:02:37 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/news-images/00331_Le_Mans_2014-1000.jpg" /> <p><em>7 January 2015, Gaydon:</em> Aston Martin Racing is launching a young driver programme, the Evolution Academy, which offers a coveted 2016 Aston Martin Racing works driver contract to the most successful participant of the season.</p> <p>The academy, being launched at the Autosport International Show, is open to applications from drivers aged 17-25 competing in an Aston Martin racing car this season. It has been devised by the Banbury-based team to help support and develop young talent, as well as creating a breeding ground for Aston Martin Racing works drivers of the future. </p> <p>Successful applicants, limited to a maximum of ten, will be assigned a professional mentor from Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s team of top GT drivers. In addition, they will be given fitness and nutrition assessments and advice; PR, marketing and sponsorship support; training sessions in an Aston Martin Base Performance Simulator; and Evolution Academy-branded apparel including a race suit and team kit. </p> <p>At the end of the season, the most successful participant will be offered an Aston Martin Racing works driver contract for 2016.&nbsp; </p> <p>Applicants will be asked to send in a CV for review by a panel of senior team management including Team Principal John Gaw, who commented: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been very supportive of young drivers at Aston Martin Racing for several years now. We had seven young drivers in our team at Spa 24 Hours last year and have signed two young drivers to our works team for the past two years. </p> <p>&ldquo;However, this is the first time we have offered a full programme designed specifically to develop some of the sport&rsquo;s top upcoming stars, focusing not just on on-track activities but all areas required to become a successful driver with a long and lucrative career.&rdquo;</p> <p>Aston Martin Racing competes at the highest level of GT racing, including a works team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours; and works-supported entries in Blancpain GT Series and other major GT races. </p> <p>With its full range of GT racing cars ranging from the V8 Vantage GT4 &ndash; its entry-level race car aimed at those starting out in a GT career &ndash; through to the V12 Vantage GT3 and the V8 Vantage GTE, there is a clear progression path for drivers of any age looking to begin or develop their racing career. </p> <p>John Gaw added: &ldquo;At Aston Martin Racing we have a proven track record of taking drivers from a GT4 programme through GT3 to the pinnacle of current GT racing, GTE. The Evolution Academy is a fantastic opportunity for young drivers and we have invested in it because we are confident we can find our future works team drivers this way.&rdquo;</p> <p>Further information about the Evolution Academy can be found here: <a href="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing/AMR%20Evo%20Deck.pdf">Evolution Academy Brochure</a></p> <p>To apply for a place in the Evolution Academy, or to receive more information, contact Andrew Williamson on +44 (0)1295 754276, <a href="mailto:awilliamson@astonmartinracing.com">awilliamson@astonmartinracing.com</a> or Warren Jones on +44 (0)1295 754165, <a href="mailto:wjones@astonmartinracing.com">wjones@astonmartinracing.com</a></p>urn:uuid:078c2034-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin Racing’s Mücke and Adam to race Dubai 24 HoursAston Martin Racing works drivers Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) and Jonny Adam (GB) will join British GT Championship driver Paul White in the Strata 21 V12 Vantage GT3, run by experienced 24 Hours Series team KPM Racing, in the championship&rsquo;s opening round Dubai 24 Hours this weekend (9 January).Tue, 06 Jan 2015 16:47:35 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/racing-strata.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 6 January 2015</em>&nbsp;- Aston Martin Racing works drivers Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) and Jonny Adam (GB) will join British GT Championship driver Paul White in the Strata 21 V12 Vantage GT3, run by experienced 24 Hours Series team KPM Racing, in the championship&rsquo;s opening round Dubai 24 Hours this weekend (9 January).</p> <p>The twice-around-the-clock endurance event is the first race of the 2015 season for the Aston Martin Racing works drivers who both had success in 2014; M&uuml;cke in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Adam in Blancpain GT Series and the British GT Championship.</p> <p>&ldquo;Dubai 24 Hours is always a great way to kick start the season," commented M&uuml;cke. "But, it's not an easy race. There are 95 cars with huge speed differences and it means that traffic management is difficult. We will hope for a clean race and aim for the GT3 Am podium.&rdquo;</p> <p>The pair will race the same V12 Vantage GT3 with which the Aston Martin Racing works team contested the N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours in June last year, but this time it will don Strata 21&rsquo;s red, black and white Milltek Sport livery.</p> <p>Adam, who has been racing the V12 Vantage GT3 each year since 2012, commented: &ldquo;This is my fourth season racing the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 and its still as enjoyable to drive as the first time I tested it at the end of 2011. It is one of the most competitive GT3 cars on the market at the moment and the Dubai Autodrome layout will suit its strengths with its powerful V12 engine and efficient aero package.</p> <p>&ldquo;Our driver line up is strong for Dubai 24 Hour with Stefan and Paul, and I look forward to working with the engineers and mechanics at KPM Racing.&rdquo;</p> <p>The V12 Vantage GT3 has had success around the world with major race and championship wins under its belt. In 2013, it won the British GT Championship with Beechdean AMR and it finished in the top five in the N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours in June last year.</p> <p>It will take on its next challenge, Dubai 24 Hours, this weekend with the race starting at 1400hrs on Friday 9 January.</p> <p>Join Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s season on Facebook at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing">www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing</a>, on Twitter using @amr_official and on Instagram using @astonmartinracingofficial and use the hashtag #teamAMR.</p>urn:uuid:c46a1c34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingMedia Site NewsAMR Partner Team NewsPublic NewsAMR NewsAston Martin wins in Sao Paulo to end successful 2014 seasonAston Martin Racing has ended the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) on a high with two wins in the Six Hours of Sao Paulo, the final race of a season that saw the team take two WEC titles and a 24 Hours of Le Mans class win.Mon, 01 Dec 2014 08:54:50 Z<p><em>S&atilde;o Paulo, 30 November 2014</em>&nbsp; - Aston Martin Racing has ended the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) on a high with two wins in the Six Hours of Sao Paulo, the final race of a season that saw the team take two WEC titles and a 24 Hours of Le Mans class win.</p> <p>The #97 Vantage GTE of Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) started the race from pole position following a fantastic qualifying session for the team, that saw all four Vantage GTEs qualify within the top five GTEs overall. It was an exciting battle all the way to the finish line with the Aston Martin swapping places with the Ferraris and Porches numerous times.</p> <p>&ldquo;The team did a great job to keep changing the strategy throughout the race,&rdquo; added Turner. &ldquo;It's been a good season in that we've had great journey and strong pace but we&rsquo;ve also had some bad luck. It was great to get the race win and we&rsquo;ll come back fighting for more victories next year.&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GTE Am class, it was the #98 Vantage GTE driven by Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) that took the class win. Despite running in the GTE Am class, Lamy and Nygaard qualified the car in fourth place overall in the GTE pack to start from the front of the GTE Am grid.</p> <p>&ldquo;We had a very good car, which was very well set up,&rdquo; commented Lamy. &ldquo;We felt like we had a lot of grip and we were fast. Chris and Paul did a great job and the safety car made my job at the end easy.&rdquo;</p> <p>&ldquo;It's great to get a third win of the year,&rdquo; added Dalla Lana. &ldquo;It's been frustrating seeing the #95 take the main honours but we'll be back to finish the job next year.&rdquo;</p> <p>The #95 belonging to the Danish trio Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and David Heinemeier Hansson qualified just behind in second in class and fifth overall. After leading for some of the race, they finished in second place just behind the sister-car.</p> <p>The #99 Vantage GTE qualified in third and on the first lap it was up to second thanks to a great start from Fernando Rees (BR). After a strategic pit stop under a full course yellow flag, the team took the lead with Darryl O&rsquo;Young behind the wheel. Together with Alex MacDowall (GB) the team pressed on until Rees was pushed off the track by a competitor. Not to be defeated, the team fought back to finish in fifth, just seconds off the podium.</p> <p>The double-win rounds off a strong year for the team that took the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Teams and the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers along with the GTE Am class win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p> <p>&ldquo;We wanted to come here and end another exciting year in the WEC on a high,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had some great successes this year and we achieved our objective of taking more WEC race wins than any other manufacturer during the last three years. We will come back next year to defend our titles and take more race and trophy wins.&rdquo;</p> <p>Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s 2015 calendar will be announced in the New Year.</p>urn:uuid:3c541c34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingMedia Site NewsPublic NewsAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsDouble pole and championship-best qualifying for Aston Martin at WEC finaleAston Martin Racing has qualified on pole in both GTE classes at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Sao Paulo, with its four V8 Vantages finishing within the top five GTEs overall, the best manufacturer result in the championship to date.Sun, 30 Nov 2014 11:14:21 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/97-Vantagefinale2014.jpg" /> <p><em>Sao Paulo, 29 November 2014 -&nbsp;</em>Aston Martin Racing has qualified on pole in both GTE classes at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Sao Paulo, with its four V8 Vantages finishing within the top five GTEs overall, the best manufacturer result in the championship to date.</p> <p>The #97 Vantage GTE of Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) set the fastest average lap time of the 20-minute session.</p> <p>&ldquo;The plan is to win this weekend so we&rsquo;ve got off to a good start,&rdquo; commented Turner. &ldquo;Last year we were close to the win, there was less than a second between us. This is one of my favourite tracks and with the new surface it&rsquo;s a joy to drive.&rdquo;</p> <p>&ldquo;Yes, the team did a great job,&rdquo; added M&uuml;cke. &ldquo;With the new asphalt the track is totally different so we were starting from scratch but we progressed really well through practice and in qualifying the set-up was spot on.&rdquo;</p> <p>Also in the GTE Pro class, the #99 Craft Bamboo Racing team recorded its second best qualifying result of the year with local driver Fernando Rees (BR) and team-mate Darryl O&rsquo;Young who, along with Alex MacDowall (GB), will start from third on the grid.</p> <p>It was the #98 Vantage GTE of Pedro Lamy (PT) and Christoffer Nygaard that qualified on pole in the GTE Am class and fourth overall GTE. It was the third pole of the year for the team that includes Canadian driver Paul Dalla Lana.</p> <p>&ldquo;The car was fast and it was really nice to drive,&rdquo; commented Lamy. &ldquo;Before the session we knew it would be tough and it was really close at the end but we managed to make pole, which is great. It&rsquo;s a long race and we still have a lot to do.&rdquo;</p> <p>&ldquo;The #95 team is so strong so we knew it would be hard to beat them,&rdquo; added Nygaard. &ldquo;Pedro did a fantastic job to go quicker than Nicki and then I knew that I had to go quicker than David. They never make it easy for us but we did it.&rdquo;</p> <p>The double 2014 GTE Am trophy winners, the #95 Young Driver Vantage GTE, qualified second in class and fifth overall, less than a tenth of a second behind the pole sitter thanks to laps from Nicki Thiim (DN) and David Heinemeier Hansson (DN) who will be joined by Kristian Poulsen (DN) for the race.</p> <p>&ldquo;We came to Interlagos with the aim of finishing the year in the WEC on a high,&rdquo; commented Aston Martin Racing Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;We got off to a great start in qualifying with all four of our cars in the top five overall, but it&rsquo;s a long race and we need to play everything perfectly in order to take home some silverware on Sunday.</p> <p>&ldquo;We think track position here is important this year with the new surface and, with such close competition, we chose an aggressive qualifying strategy to optimize our starting positions and all went to plan today.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Six Hours of Sao Paulo starts tomorrow (Sunday) at 1300hrs local time.</p>urn:uuid:31381c34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingPublic NewsCorporate Public NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martin Brazil-bound for final WEC race of 2014 Aston Martin Racing will contest the final round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Sao Paulo, this weekend (30 November) and will be looking to add to the season&rsquo;s tally of six pole positions, 18 podiums, seven class wins and two championship titles.Fri, 28 Nov 2014 11:06:53 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/final-race-2014.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 27 November 2014</em> - Aston Martin Racing will contest the final round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Sao Paulo, this weekend (30 November) and will be looking to add to the season&rsquo;s tally of six pole positions, 18 podiums, seven class wins and two championship titles.</p> <p>At the last round of the WEC, the Six Hours of Bahrain, Aston Martin Racing clinched the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Teams with its #95 Young Driver AMR Vantage GTE and the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers with David Heinemeier Hansson (DN) and Kristian Poulsen (DN).</p> <p>Although there are no more trophies up for grabs for the four-car team, the drivers are as determined as ever to take the top step of the podium before the season is out and none more so than Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s longest-standing duo Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) in the #97 Vantage GTE.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had a bit of bad luck this year and it&rsquo;s hampered our championship chances in the GTE Pro class,&rdquo; commented Turner who is coming to the end of his tenth year with the team. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a shame because I genuinely think this could have been our year. However, we now go into every race looking to win. Stefan and I would really like to stand on the top step in Sao Paulo so we can go into the winter on a high and come back next year ready to start a new assault on the WEC.&rdquo;</p> <p>Joining them in the GTE Pro class is the newest crew in the Aston Martin Racing garage, the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing Vantage GTE. The team, with drivers Darryl O&rsquo;Young (HK), Fernando Rees (BR) and Alex MacDowall (GB), will be looking to stand on the podium again before the year is out.</p> <p>&ldquo;Finishing the season at my home track is fantastic,&rdquo; commented Rees. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve really enjoyed racing with Aston Martin Racing this year and I&rsquo;m looking forward to welcoming the team to Brazil. Getting another podium would be a great way to end the year and do to it at my home track would be even better.&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GTE Am class, the championship-winning #95 Vantage GTE will be looking to maintain its 100 per cent podium success rate in the 2014 WEC and add another win to its four so far this year, including the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.</p> <p>Also looking to take the top step of the GTE Am class podium is the #98 Vantage GTE of Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN). The team has been on the podium in every six-hour race this season, meaning they have recorded enough points to take second place in the GTE Am championship standings.</p> <p>&ldquo;Since the start of the WEC, three seasons ago, we have won more GTE races than any other team,&rdquo; commented John Gaw, Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing. &ldquo;This is a record that we intend to maintain so every race win is essential.</p> <p>&ldquo;Interlagos is a fantastic place to race. It is steeped in motorsport history and our drivers all look forward to this round.&nbsp; Our goal is to go there and end another great year in the WEC on a high.&rdquo;</p> <p>The final round of the 2014 WEC, the Six Hours of Sao Paulo, starts at 1300hrs on Sunday 30 November.</p>urn:uuid:05131a34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingPublic NewsCorporate Public NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martin wins in Bahrain and clinches two world titlesAston Martin Racing has won the GTE AM class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Bahrain and, in doing so, has scooped the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Teams and the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers at the penultimate round of the 2014 championship. Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:54:18 Z<p><em><img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/am-winners-article-2014.jpg?sfvrsn=2" alt="Aston Martin Racing" title="am-winners-article-2014" /><br />
Bahrain, 15 November 2014</em> - Aston Martin Racing has won the GTE AM class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Bahrain and, in doing so, has scooped the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Teams and the Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers at the penultimate round of the 2014 championship. </p> <p>The #95 Vantage GTE has clinched the championship-title with one round of the eight-race series still remaining and Aston Martin Racing works drivers David Heinemeier Hansson (DN) and Kristian Poulsen (DN) will take the trophy for the drivers who have scored the most points in the GTE Am class this season. </p> <p>The Young Driver AMR car has had a consistently strong season, finishing on the podium in every race and taking the class win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the centerpiece of the WEC calendar. </p> <p>In the Six Hours of Bahrain earlier today (15 November) it was no different. Heinemeier Hansson and Poulsen were joined by fellow Dane Nicki Thiim and started the six-hour race from the front of the grid, a position the team held until the chequered flag. </p> <p>&ldquo;All we had to do was finish ahead of the #98 Aston Martin, but winning is a bonus,&rdquo;
Heinemeier Hansson commented. &ldquo;The car has been so good all season and so easy to drive. In this race we had to watch the tyres, and we knew that from the start, but we set-up very well and it has been an smooth run to the finish.&rdquo;</p> <p>Poulsen added: &ldquo;It means a lot to the whole team. To win Le Mans and take the championship-title in the same year is so fantastic. We couldn&rsquo;t ask for more.&rdquo;</p> <p>The race was not so smooth for the #97 Vantage GTE. Starting from the front of the grid, Darren Turner (GB) was immediately caught up in a battle with the championship-leading #51 competitor that lasted for most of the race. Following a heroic charge by Turner and team-mate Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE), the team crossed the line in second place. </p> <p>&ldquo;It was a titanic battle throughout the six hours. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. We had an aggressive strategy, which is what we had to do with the additional pitstop that we knew we had to take.&rdquo;</p> <p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so pleased for the #95 crew. They&rsquo;ve had a season-long battle with #98, which has been great to watch on-track and inside the garage.&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GTE Am class, the #98 Vantage GTE of Christoffer Nygaard (DN), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) crossed the line in third place, the team&rsquo;s sixth podium of the season so far.</p> <p>Christoffer Nygaard commented: &ldquo;Firstly, I have to say congratulations to the #95 Young Driver Vantage GTE team. If we didn&rsquo;t win the championship, I would always want it to be them. We&rsquo;ve been on the podium in all of the championship&rsquo;s six-hour races this year, which is something to be very proud of.&rdquo;</p> <p>The #99 Vantage GTE finished in sixth place in the GTE class with regular drivers Alex MacDowall (GB) and Fernando Rees (BR) and new driver to the team Abdulaziz Al Faisal (SD), who put in a solid performance all weekend.</p> <p>&ldquo;The #95 team really deserves these wins,&rdquo; commented John Gaw. They have been quick and reliable all year. David and Kristian have both had a fantastic season and have been incredibly focused, professional and consistent at every round.</p> <p>&ldquo;In the GTE Pro class, we had a different strategy with the #97 than our competitors to optimise the tyres and fuel-load. We had to take an extra pit stop, so to finish just 1.8 seconds off the class-winner is impressive. Another lap and we could have been challenging for the win but instead they&rsquo;ll have to take their battle to the final round in Brazil.&rdquo;</p> <p>The final race of the 2014 World Endurance Championship takes place on 30 November at the Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. </p>urn:uuid:7c061a34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsDouble pole for Aston Martin in BahrainAston Martin Racing has qualified on pole in both of the GTE classes for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Bahrain with its #97 Vantage GTE Pro and #95 Vantage GTE Am.Sat, 15 Nov 2014 10:32:14 Z<img src="http://astonmartin.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/racing-news/0590_WEC2014_Rnd7_Bahrain.jpg" /> <p><em>Bahrain, 14 November 2014</em> - Aston Martin Racing has qualified on pole in both of the GTE classes for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Bahrain with its #97 Vantage GTE Pro and #95 Vantage GTE Am.</p> <p>As the sun set over the Bahrain International Circuit, the four Gulf-liveried Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTEs took part in the 20-minute qualifying session. Two drivers in each car are required to complete a minimum of two laps, with the fastest two from each being added together and averaged to give the car&rsquo;s overall qualifying time.</p> <p>Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) was the first to set his two laps times in the #97 Vantage GTE before handing over to team-mate Darren Turner (GB) on provisional pole. Turner completed his laps and, when the two best laps from each were added together they celebrated taking pole position for tomorrow&rsquo;s race.</p> <p>&ldquo;It was good to take our second pole position this year,&rdquo; commented M&uuml;cke. &ldquo;We made the right decisions on set-up and it was a very close battle but on the average we just made it. We hope we can finish with a podium or win tomorrow.&rdquo;</p> <p>Turner added: &ldquo;Yes, we&rsquo;re very pleased with the way the car has been prepared for this race. It's important for us that we get a win before we go into the winter season. Looking after the tyres seems to be important here so management and strategy will be key.&rdquo;</p> <p>Also in the GTE Pro class, Fernando Rees (BR) and Alex MacDowall (GB) drove their #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing Vantage GTE and put in strong enough laps to start the six-hour race from fourth place on the grid.</p> <p>&ldquo;Fourth place is a good position for us to get on the podium tomorrow,&rdquo; commented Rees. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re happy with the set-up and we&rsquo;re confident we can have a good race.&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GTE Am class, it was the class championship-leader, the #95 Young Driver Vantage GTE, that took pole position thanks to Nicki Thiim (DN) and Kristian Poulsen (DN) who will start the race from the front of the class for the first time this season.</p> <p>&ldquo;It really nice to take our first pole this year, especially beating the #98 Vantage GTE, which has had the last two pole positions.&nbsp; We always have a good battle on-track and have fun in the garage with our competitiveness.&rdquo;</p> <p>The #98 Vantage GTE driven by Pedro Lamy (PT) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) was close behind, so will start the race from the front row alongside the #95 sister-car.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very pleased with today&rsquo;s qualifying result,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;We have top drivers in both classes and this has proven it. However, tomorrow&rsquo;s race will need more than a fast car and drivers to win. We think it will be tough here on tyres so good management could be the winning factor in the race.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Six Hours of Bahrain starts at 1500hrs on Saturday 15 November.</p>urn:uuid:47f01934-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martin Racing's O'Young Enters Macau GTAston Martin Racing works driver Darryl O&rsquo;Young will contest the Macau GT Cup race this weekend (14 November) in the Craft-Bamboo Racing V12 Vantage GT3 and is hoping to win the race once again in front of his home fans and sponsors.Thu, 13 Nov 2014 12:19:24 Z<img src="http://astonmartin.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/racing-news/CN_L3193.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 13 November 2014 </em>- Aston Martin Racing works driver Darryl O&rsquo;Young will contest the Macau GT Cup race this weekend (14 November) in the Craft-Bamboo Racing V12 Vantage GT3 and is hoping to win the race once again in front of his home fans and sponsors.</p> <p>The 12-lap sprint race, part of the Macau GP, takes place on the streets of Macau and draws in up to 65,000 spectators and boasts global TV coverage. Hong Kong driver, O&rsquo;Young has raced on the 6.2-km long street circuit 11 times and it is arguably his most successful circuit having, most notably, won the inaugural Macau GT Cup in 2008 and taking second place in 2009.</p> <p>After a four-year break, while he contested the World Touring Car Championship race instead, O&rsquo;Young is back contesting the GT Cup and is confident of a good result.</p> <p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very confident on this circuit,&rdquo; commented O&rsquo;Young. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been successful here in both GTs and touring cars and I think the Vantage GT3 will be very quick, especially on the long straights.</p> <p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t only enjoy racing here because I have had great results in the past, but because this is my home race. We have some top sponsors on-board including Vita VLT, a brand that I grew up with, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to representing them both on and off the track.</p> <p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve really enjoyed my return to GT racing this year and this race is a real highlight for me.&rdquo;</p> <p>This year, O&rsquo;Young is contesting the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Aston Martin Racing and has enjoyed podium success with the #99 Vantage GTE, but, due to the Macau GT Cup race, will miss the penultimate round in Bahrain.</p> <p>&ldquo;Of course, it&rsquo;s a shame not to have Darryl with us in Bahrain,&rdquo; commented Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;But, he is so strong on the Macau circuit that we feel he could take the GT Cup race win. It&rsquo;s one of the top GT3 races in the world and it&rsquo;s important that we send our best drivers and teams to challenge for us around the world.</p> <p>&ldquo;We did this with Jonny Adam (GB) and Andy Soucek (ES) in the Baku World Challenge street race a fortnight ago and, together with Beechdean AMR, we took second place. Craft-Bamboo Racing is a very professional and successful team and, together, we have a good chance of similar success in Macau.&rdquo;</p> <p>Joining O&rsquo;Young in a bid for victory in Macau this weekend is Frank Yu (HK). The GT Cup race is also the final round of the 2014 GT Asia Series and, with the championship title up for grabs, Yu will be looking to gain maximum points in his Craft-Bamboo Racing V12 Vantage GT3, nicknamed &lsquo;The Hulk&rsquo;.</p> <p>The team will arrive in Macau this week ahead of the GT Cup race that takes place at 0900 local time on Sunday.</p>urn:uuid:19791e34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin Brussels celebrates 2014 Belgian title with victoryAston Martin Brussels became the 2014 Belgian GT Championship winners at a gripping series finale at Zolder, where the #100 V12 Vantage GT3 - driven by Tim Verbergt, Bert Redant and Enzo Ide - took the race win to secure the championship title.Sat, 08 Nov 2014 12:11:00 Z<img src="http://astonmartin.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/racing-news/brussels-victory-2.jpg" /><em>Photograph by Stef Oers</em> <br /> <br /> <p>Aston Martin Brussels became the 2014 Belgian GT Championship winners at a gripping series finale at Zolder, where the #100 V12 Vantage GT3 - driven by Tim Verbergt, Bert Redant and Enzo Ide - took the race win to secure the championship title.&nbsp;<br /> <br />
Proving the V12 Vantage GT3s reliability and consistency across the season, which included numerous wins and podiums, both of the team&rsquo;s entries went into the final round in contention for the overall championship win.&nbsp;<br /> <br />
In a strategic move, the team decided to play the race differently for each of its cars to improve its chance of one of them taking the race win.&nbsp;<br /> <br />
&nbsp;&ldquo;We chose a conservative approach for the #100 car in the qualifying sessions and in the early stages of the three-hour race,&rdquo; explained Redant. &ldquo;The #9 Aston Martin, on the contrary, went flat-out and started to attack both our competitors for the National title, the Porsche and the Audi.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The #100 strategy worked well and, by the final laps of the three-hour long race, Ide was locked in a fierce battle for the race win with the Audi, knowing that whoever crossed the line first would take the National title.&nbsp;<br /> <br />
With the pressure high, the pit-crew watched on anxiously and gasped as the two race leaders made contact, took a spin and landed in the gravel. Unbelievably, both cars were able to emerge safely and continue racing with the yellow Aston Martin V12 Vantage taking the win.&nbsp;<br /> <br />
&nbsp;&ldquo;The temperature of the brake fluid was high because I was constantly in the slip stream of the Audi. &nbsp;I did not brake later than usual but it came to a contact. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s a miracle that we both came out of the gravel without much damage.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
Luck, however, was not on the side of the #9 V12 Vantage GT3, which had some issues and was forced to retire from the race.&nbsp;<br /> <br />
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s actually a pity because, otherwise, both cars might have been able to determine among themselves who could win the championship. Well, that&rsquo;s racing and I am very happy with the title. This was not really a race, but a film with an unlikely scenario. &nbsp;Luckily for us, there was a happy ending!&nbsp;<br /> <br />
&ldquo;The whole team deserves this award, but I particularly want to thank Tim Verbergt, our &lsquo;home pilot&rsquo;. &nbsp;Tim has been with us for many years now and he has never abandoned his positive and patient attitude.&ldquo;</p>urn:uuid:cf661534-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martin takes P2 in Baku debutAston Martin Racing has finished in second place in its debut at the Baku World Challenge, one of the most challenging and competitive GT3 street races in the world, which is also the final round of the 2014 Blancpain Sprint SeriesSun, 02 Nov 2014 19:20:29 Z<img src="http://cdntb.astonmartin.com/azure-with-thumbs/media-centre-with-thumbnails/beechdean-am.jpg?sfvrsn=2" /> <p><em>Baku, 2 November 2014</em> - Aston Martin Racing has finished in second place in its debut at the Baku World Challenge, one of the most challenging and competitive GT3 street races in the world, which is also the final round of the 2014 Blancpain Sprint Series.</p> <p>In the #107 Beechdean AMR V12 Vantage GT3, Aston Martin Racing works driver Jonny Adam (GB) and experienced Blancpain GT Series racer Andy Soucek (ES) started Saturday&rsquo;s qualifying on the streets of the Azerbaijani city strongly. When the Q1 and Q2 times were combined, the pair were the fastest overall, putting them straight through to Q3 where Soucek qualified in fifth place.</p> <p>It was the 29-year old Spaniard who started the qualifying race on Saturday and, having driven in the Baku World Challenge in 2013, took no time in working his way up into fourth place. After the pit stop, Adam emerged in third and, taking advantage of another car&rsquo;s mistake, crossed the line in second place.</p> <p>With the starting order for the main race decided, it was Adam&rsquo;s turn to start, this time from the front row. Keeping on the heels of the leader, the team planned to pit late, take advantage of the clean air and emerge in a position of attack.</p> <p>However, when the V12 Vantage GT3 exited the pits it was seven seconds behind the leader and Soucek began his impressive charge to close the gap.</p> <p>&ldquo;I thought I could catch him at first but it turned out his pace was as fast as ours,&rdquo; he commented. &ldquo;There was oil on the track and he was very cautious&hellip; I was less so, so closed the gap to less than three seconds. However, we ran out of time and crossed the line in second place. It&rsquo;s been a fantastic weekend. To have the fastest combined qualifying time in Q1 and Q2 is great and to take two podiums even better.&rdquo;</p> <p>Not only was this the first Baku World Challenge race for the team, it was also only its second Blancpain Sprint Series event and, given the strength of the highly competitive grid, the second place finish exceeded expectations.</p> <p>&ldquo;It think we always knew we&rsquo;d be a strong pairing,&rdquo; commented Adam. &ldquo;And, we knew the car would be quick and reliable, but I don&rsquo;t&rsquo; think anyone thought it would go quite this well because the competition is famously tough.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been consistently strong across the two events, just getting better and better in each session. It&rsquo;s great for Aston Martin Racing and Beechdean AMR to turn up and, in our first Baku World Challenge and second Blancpain Sprint Series race, finish in second place.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Aston Martin Racing works entry was in conjunction with partner team Beechdean AMR, which has been extremely successful in recent years winning the British GT Championship in 2013 and establishing an impressive reputation along the way.</p> <p>&ldquo;It just shows the strength of Beechdean AMR that we can join the Blancpain Sprint Series and perform so well from the offset,&rdquo; commented Beechdean AMR Team Owner Andrew Howard. &ldquo;It was a great job by Jonny, Andy and the team all weekend. I couldn&rsquo;t be happier.&rdquo;</p> <p>The entry into the final two rounds of the Blancpain Sprint Series comes as part of Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s move into more works-supported GT3 racing.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been very vocal about how keen we are to do more GT3 racing as a works team and these last two rounds of the Blancpain Sprint Series have shown why,&rdquo; commented Aston Martin Racing Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;Our V12 Vantage GT3 is very competitive and, as well as success in the N&uuml;rburgring 24 Hours, it has been victorious in the Blancpain GT Series, where we won our debut race in 2013 at Silverstone.</p> <p>&ldquo;Our focus for next year is to do more GT3 racing as a works team, as well as alongside and in support of our top customer teams, such as Beechdean AMR, that has been outstanding this weekend.&rdquo;</p> <p>For further information about the Blancpain Sprint Series go to <a href="http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com" target="_blank">www.blancpain-gt-series.com<a/></p>urn:uuid:5c611534-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingMandarin NewsChinese NewsCorporate Public NewsPublic NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAMR NewsAston Martin wins in Shanghai and secures two world titles Aston Martin Racing has won the GTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Shanghai in its #98 V8 Vantage GTE. With the #95 sister-car finishing in second place, it has also ensured that one of its two GTE Am entries will take the 2014 GTE Am Teams Trophy and one or more of its drivers will take the GTE Am Drivers Trophy.Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:02:53 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing/98-finish-line.jpg?sfvrsn=2" /> <p><em>Shanghai, 2 November 2014</em> - Aston Martin Racing has won the GTE Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Shanghai in its #98 V8 Vantage GTE. With the #95 sister-car finishing in second place, it has also ensured that one of its two GTE Am entries will take the 2014 GTE Am Teams Trophy and one or more of its drivers will take the GTE Am Drivers Trophy.</p> <p>Although it was the #98 NorthWest car that crossed the line in first place at the Shanghai International Circuit, the pair of Aston Martin Vantage GTEs once again proved how evenly matched they are by closely but safely battling for the lead throughout the six-hour race.</p> <p>The NorthWest-sponsored team of Christoffer Nygaard (DN), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) qualified on pole and, other than trading places with their #95 team-mates, they led the race to the chequered flag.</p> <p>&rdquo;That was a great race,&rdquo; commented Nygaard. &ldquo;We qualified on pole for the second event in a row and were in the lead for most of the race. Paul and Pedro both did a great job today and we&rsquo;re looking forward to going to Bahrain and hopefully closing the championship lead on the #95 car.&rdquo;</p> <p>Despite leading the class at one point, the #95 Vantage GTE &ndash; driven by Richie Stanaway (NZ), Kristian Poulsen (DN) and David Heinemeier Hansson &ndash; had to settle for second place and, although the #98 has closed the gap on the championship lead, it is the #95 Young Driver AMR car that goes into the penultimate round of the 2014 at the top of the championship standings.</p> <p>With just two races remaining, today&rsquo;s result puts all other teams out of the running for the 2014 GTE Am Teams Trophy, leaving it a two-way battle between the Aston Martins.</p> <p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be leading the championship but the #98 team are giving us a good battle,&rdquo; commented Heinemeier Hansson, who is currently leading the GTE Am Drivers Trophy, alongside Poulsen. &ldquo;Either way, an Aston Martin and an Aston Martin Racing works driver has won the GTE Am championship, which is fantastic for the team, but we are going to do whatever we can to make sure it is us!&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GTE Pro class, the #99 Craft-Bamboo Vantage GTE had a clean and solid race and finished in fourth place but luck was not on the side of the #97 Vantage GTE which, despite qualifying on pole and leading the race from the green flag, was forced to retire with an engine issue in the fifth hour of the race.</p> <p>&ldquo;To have clinched the GTE Am Teams and Drivers Trophies with two rounds remaining is great news,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a two-horse-race to the end now and, although the #95 is in the lead, the #98 is hot on its heels.</p> <p>&ldquo;Obviously, it&rsquo;s disappointing that the #97 GTE Pro car had to retire. It qualified on pole and led for the whole race and we are confident that without the issue we would have taken our third race-win here in three years. Still, we head to Bahrain in a couple of weeks with the same focus and determination and as positive as ever.&rdquo;</p> <p>The FIA WEC continues with the penultimate round in Bahrain on the 15/16 November.</p>urn:uuid:4c561534-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsDouble Pole for Aston Martin in ShanghaiAston Martin Racing took pole position in both of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) GT classes earlier today (Saturday 1 November), for the sixth round of the 2014 season, the Six Hours of Shanghai.Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:55:18 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing/2014/racing0111.jpg" /><p><em>Shanghai, 1 November 2014 </em>- Aston Martin Racing took pole position in both of the FIA World Endurance Championship&rsquo;s (WEC) GT classes earlier today (Saturday 1 November), for the sixth round of the 2014 season, the Six Hours of Shanghai.<br /> <br />
In the GTE Pro class, Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) was first out on track in the #97 Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTE and the 32-year old took no time in recording two fast laps of the Shanghai International Circuit.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been strong here for the last two years but it wasn&rsquo;t easy out there today,&rdquo; commented M&uuml;cke. &ldquo;We had to work really hard for it. It&rsquo;s our first pole of the year, so it&rsquo;s very important to us and the whole team should be proud.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
Next it was the turn of Darren Turner (GB), who, in line with the WEC regulations, needed to record two flying laps to be averaged with his German team-mate&rsquo;s. Never one to disappoint, Turner took over the wheel and did just enough to clinch the pole position.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;It was very close,&rdquo; commented Turner. &ldquo;The gap to the second placed Porsche is only a tenth. Stefan did a great job, as always, and I&rsquo;m really happy for everyone here at Aston Martin Racing. We have a lot of guests here in China and it&rsquo;s great to get a pole position for them.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
In the GTE Am class, it was Pedro Lamy (PT) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) who took part in the session to put the #98 Vantage GTE on class pole for tomorrow&rsquo;s six-hour race.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;This is the second pole position in a row for us and it&rsquo;s great to be starting from the front,&rdquo; commented Nygaard. &ldquo;We are in second place in the championship behind our #95 sister car so we need to score as many points as we can this weekend in order to catch them.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The WEC GTE Am championship-leading #95 Young Driver AMR Vantage GTE recorded the fastest lap of the GTE qualifying session with Richie Stanaway (NZ) behind the wheel. Team-mate David Heinemeier Hansson (DN) joined the young New Zealander and did an effective job to qualify the car in third place.<br /> <br />
In the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing Vantage GTE, it was Fernando Rees (BR) and Alex MacDowall (GB) who took part in the 20-minute qualifying. The team, which took pole position in Fuji three weeks ago, qualified in sixth place in the GTE Pro class in its INTERUSH-liveried machine.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to be starting from the front of the grid in both classes,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;Qualifying has been tough for us this year so we&rsquo;re pleased to get another pole position and take that first one for the #97. Darren and Stefan have been winners here in the past and the track suits our car so, hopefully, with a lot of hard work, we can turn it into our third GTE Pro win here in three years in tomorrow&rsquo;s race.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The FIA WEC Six Hours of Shanghai starts at 1100hrs on Sunday 2 November. For further information go to www.fiawec.com.
</p>urn:uuid:04ac1434-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin to take the streets of BakuAston Martin Racing will contest the final round of the Blancpain Sprint Series in Baku this weekend (1/2 November) with Jonny Adam (GB) and Andy Soucek (ES) in the Beechdean V12 Vantage GT3 and, following a solid debut in Zolder a fortnight ago, sights are set on another top five finish.Thu, 30 Oct 2014 10:03:49 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/beechdean-image.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 29 October 2014 </em>- Aston Martin Racing will contest the final round of the Blancpain Sprint Series in Baku this weekend (1/2 November) with Jonny Adam (GB) and Andy Soucek (ES) in the Beechdean V12 Vantage GT3 and, following a solid debut in Zolder a fortnight ago, sights are set on another top five finish.</p> <p>In the works team&rsquo;s series debut, Aston Martin Racing works driver Adam and team-mate ex-F1 test driver Soucek quickly made their mark in the highly-competitive 30-strong grid by finishing both one-hour races in fifth place.</p> <p>Despite being one of the most experienced Vantage GT3 drivers in the world, it was Adam&rsquo;s series debut, but he knew that they had to push hard from the start in order to be competitive.</p> <p>&ldquo;We knew we had to hit the ground running,&rdquo; commented Adam. &ldquo;This series is so competitive, you don&rsquo;t have time to settle in. Andy had never driven the car before but he took to it straight away and went second fastest in the first free practice. That&rsquo;s the beauty of the Vantage GT3, it&rsquo;s fast and competitive but also easy to adapt to.&rdquo;</p> <p>The V12 Vantage GT3 was introduced at the start of the 2012 season and has been incredibly successful. Adam and Beechdean AMR team-mate Andrew Howard (GB) took the car&rsquo;s first ever race win in April 2012 and, since then, the car has raced in most of major races and championships around the world, now including the new-for-2014 Blancpain Sprint Series.</p> <p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward to getting back in the Vantage GT3,&rdquo; commented Soucek. &ldquo;We had a great race in Zolder but I think we can do even better in Baku this weekend now that we have gelled as a team and I have spent a bit more time in the car. I raced here last year and I&rsquo;m confident that my experience will benefit the team.&rdquo;</p> <p>Baku World Challenge in Azerbajan is the only street circuit race in the Blancpain Sprint Series calendar. The 4.4km long circuit runs through the old town of Baku, centering around the country&rsquo;s largest national flag and running along the Caspian Sea coastline.</p> <p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great circuit and we are all looking forward to seeing the Vantage GT3 compete there,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;The team, of course, would like to finish even higher than they did in Zolder but the competition is tough. There are teams there that have experience in the Baku World Challenge and many of them have contested the whole of the Blancpain Sprint Series season. This is just our second race in the Series so we must remain realistic but the car is good, the drivers are great and the team is strong. We&rsquo;ll see what happens at the weekend.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Baku World Challenge comprises a qualifying race and main race, which both take place on Sunday 2 November. For further information go to <a href="http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com">www.blancpain-gt-series.com</a></p>urn:uuid:ead41334-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsChinese NewsMandarin NewsPublic NewsAston Martin returns to Shanghai looking for repeat successAston Martin Racing will return to China next weekend (1 November) for the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its four Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTEs and hopes to repeat its class-winning success of 2012 and 2013.Tue, 28 Oct 2014 09:16:33 Z<img src="http://astonmartin.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/news-images/3shanghai.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 29 October 2014</em> - Aston Martin Racing will return to China next weekend (1 November) for the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its four Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTEs and hopes to repeat its class-winning success of 2012 and 2013.</p> <p>The team took its first WEC class win at the Shanghai International Circuit in the championship&rsquo;s inaugural year in 2012. In 2013, it returned and repeated the victory and, although the GTE Pro competition is tougher than ever, Aston Martin Racing will be hoping to cross the line in first place once again.</p> <p>Looking to take its third win in Shanghai in three years, is the #97 Vantage GTE Pro driven by Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE).</p> <p>Turner, who holds the GTE Pro Shanghai International Circuit lap record, commented: "We've always raced well in Shanghai so I'm looking forward to returning," commented Turner, who holds the lap record for GTE Pro cars. "It's not going to be easy, though. The last two WEC rounds have been really tough. This really is the top level of sportscar racing in the world and the competition is the highest I have ever known."</p> <p>Also looking for a step on the podium is the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing Vantage GTE Pro with drivers Darryl O&rsquo;Young (HK), Alex MacDowall (GB) and Fernando Rees (BR). The team not only qualified on pole for the last round of the WEC in Fuji, but also crossed the line in third place to take the team&rsquo;s first WEC podium.</p> <p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking forward to racing in China next weekend,&rdquo; commented Hong Kong racing driver Darryl O&rsquo;Young. &ldquo;This is my home race and one of the home races for our team Craft-Bamboo Racing and sponsor Interush so it&rsquo;s one of the most exciting WEC events in the calendar. We had a great race in Fuji a fortnight ago so we&rsquo;re heading to Shanghai with confidence but also understand the challenge we face of getting to the top step of the podium.&rdquo;</p> <p>In the GTE Am class, the championship leaders, the #95 Young Driver AMR Vantage GTE, will hope to extend its lead at the top of the table with drivers David Heinemeier Hansson (DN), Kristian Poulsen (DN) and Richie Stanaway (NZ).</p> <p>Also in the GTE Am class is the #98 Vantage GTE of Paul Dalla Lana (CA), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) who are hoping to continue their podium run following a win in Austin and a second place in Fuji.</p> <p>&ldquo;All fours of our teams are doing a great job,&rdquo; commented Aston Martin Racing Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;To be taking pole positions, podiums and race wins in all four of ours Vantage GTEs shows that our cars are consistent and competitive. We look forward to Shanghai as we have good memories here we just need to focus on coming away with as many points as possible this weekend.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Six Hours of Shanghai starts at 11h00 local time on Sunday 2 November.</p>urn:uuid:c0c20f34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsAMR Partner Team NewsTop five for Aston Martin in Blancpain Sprint Series debutAston Martin Racing made its Blancpain Sprint Series debut this weekend (18/19 October) and drivers Jonny Adam (GB) and Andy Soucek (ES) scored top five finishes in both of the one-hour races in the Beechdean AMR V12 Vantage GT3.Wed, 22 Oct 2014 07:57:53 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/news-images/BRD_3361_1000px.jpg" /> <p><em>Zolder, 21 October 2014 -</em> Aston Martin Racing made its Blancpain Sprint Series debut this weekend (18/19 October) and drivers Jonny Adam (GB) and Andy Soucek (ES) scored top five finishes in both of the one-hour races in the Beechdean AMR V12 Vantage GT3.</p> <p>Having raced and won in the Blancpain Endurance Series, this weekend&rsquo;s event in Zolder was the first Blancpain Sprint Series event for the Aston Martin Racing works team.</p> <p>Aston Martin Racing works driver Adam and his new team-mate ex-F1 test driver Soucek didn&rsquo;t take any time getting to grips with the new-for-2014 series and went second fastest in free practice one and third fastest in free practice two.</p> <p>Soucek was first out in qualifying and, despite it being his first event in an Aston Martin, drove the V12 Vantage GT3 like he had been driving it for years, going fastest in Q1 before handing over to team-mate Adam. </p> <p>A difficult Q2 left the team to start race one from 14th but, with some incredible overtaking and a slick pitstop and driver change, the pair crossed the line in fifth place.</p> <p>For race two, the team started from fifth but on the green flag the #107 car dropped to sixth to avoid an incident. Then the two safety cars in the first half of the race hampered Soucek&rsquo;s chances of moving up the grid.</p> <p>With some smart strategy and a perfect pitstop, Adam exited in fourth and continued his charge to the front of the pack. After the pitstops were completed they were just pipped to the post and crossed the line in fifth. </p> <p>&ldquo;For our first weekend in the Blancpain Sprint Series, to score two fifth places was a great achievement and underlines the strength of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3,&rdquo; commented Adam. &ldquo;The team and car performed very well over the weekend and it was a pleasure to drive with Andy Soucek. This weekend has definitely helped with our preparation towards our race in Baku.&rdquo;</p> <p>The team will next race in the Blancpain Sprint Series at Baku on 1 November. For further information go to <a href="http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com">www.blancpain-gt-series.com</a></p>urn:uuid:00a30d34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingInvestor RelationsCorporate Public NewsAMR NewsAston Martin Wins in JapanAston Martin Racing has won the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Fuji with its #95 V8 Vantage GTE Am class car. Sun, 12 Oct 2014 10:45:26 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing/1210articlemain.jpg" /> <p><em>Fuji, 12 October 2014</em><em>&nbsp;</em>&ndash; Aston Martin Racing has won the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Fuji with its #95 V8 Vantage GTE Am class car. The #98 sister-car finished close behind in second place and the #99 took third place in the GTE Pro class in a race that was action-packed from the start.<br /> <br />
At 1100hrs local time, the green flag waved and the #99 and #97 Vantage GTEs started side-by-side on the front row, following a successful qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. However, a chaotic start damaged the #97 and it was forced to return to the pits for an eight-minute stop it could never recover from.<br /> <br />
The #99 &ndash; piloted by Fernando Rees (BR), Alex MacDowall (GB) and Darryl O&rsquo;Young (HK) &ndash; continued on and spent the next six hours in a wheel-to-wheel battle with the two AF Corse Ferraris. A clever pit strategy, consistently quick lap times and a reliable car all contributed to the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing team taking its first WEC podium in only its fifth Championship race.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;When you start from the front of the GTE Pro class you are in the thick of it,&rdquo; commented Rees. &ldquo;You have to make sure that you don&rsquo;t get caught up in any of the chaos and I did that well. I lost a place to Bruni but quickly recovered it and we led the race for a long time. To get our first podium as a new team in just our fifth race is fantastic. We have to stay focused now and try and do the same in Shanghai and beyond.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
Meanwhile, the pair of Aston Martin Racing GTE Am cars spent the race swapping places at the front of the class with the Danish trio of Kristian Poulsen, David Heinemeier Hansson and Nicki Thiim, at one point, leading the entire GTE field. <br /> <br />
Despite challenges from Christoffer Nygaard (DN), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) in the NorthWest-liveried #98, it was the #95 Young Driver AMR car that crossed the line first to take its third race win of the 2014 season and extend its lead at the top of the Championship.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be leading the Championship,&rdquo; commented Heinemeier Hansson. &ldquo;The Vantage GTE makes it easy for gentlemen drivers like Kristian and I to be mixing it up with the professional drivers. If a car is easy to drive, like the Aston Martin is, the difference between the Am and Pro is smaller and that&rsquo;s what wins Pro-Am races.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
Despite setting the fastest GTE lap of the race, the #97 of Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) crossed the line in fifth place due to time in the pits early on in the race.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really pleased for the #95 team for extending its lead at the top of the Championship,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;And, it&rsquo;s good to see our two GTE Am cars so competitive at the front of every race.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;The #99 team has done a good job all weekend and it thoroughly deserves its first podium. Of course, it was disappointing for the #97 crew but the start of the race often takes victims and this time it was us.
&ldquo;We always do well in Shanghai, we took our first WEC race win there in 2012 and then repeated it in 2013, so we must look forward and focus on keeping our strong record there.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The FIA WEC Six Hours of Shanghai starts at 1100hrs local time on Sunday 2 November. For more information go to www.fiawec.com.
</p>urn:uuid:3a910d34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsAston Martin Locks out the Front Row in FujiAston Martin Racing’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Fuji challenge got off to a flying start today as its four identical V8 Vantage GTEs locked out the front row in the GTE Pro class and took pole and third in the GTE Am class in this afternoon’s qualifying session.Sat, 11 Oct 2014 09:52:28 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing/1110racingarticle.jpg" /> <p><em>Fuji, 11 October 2014</em><em>&nbsp;</em>&ndash; Aston Martin Racing&rsquo;s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Six Hours of Fuji challenge got off to a flying start today (11 October) as its four identical V8 Vantage GTEs locked out the front row in the GTE Pro class and took pole and third in the GTE Am class in this afternoon&rsquo;s qualifying session.<br /> <br />
It was a maiden pole in the GTE Pro class for the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing team &ndash; which only joined the WEC at the start of this year &ndash; thanks to laps from Fernando Rees (BR), who was also fastest in free practice three, and Alex MacDowall (GB), who was delighted at the result.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite a shock,&rdquo; explained the 23-year old. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first time here so I had a lot to learn in the practice sessions but it just seemed to come together for qualifying. It&rsquo;s our first pole and Fernando did an amazing job. We&rsquo;re looking forward to the race tomorrow.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
In the #97 sister-car, Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) were close behind and will start the race from second place on the grid of 13 GTE cars.<br /> <br />
In the GTE Am class, the #98 NorthWest Vantage GTE of Pedro Lamy (PT) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN) clinched pole position after swapping places with the #95 Young Driver AMR car at the top of the table throughout the session. <br /> <br />
Nygaard commented: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to be on pole! We won the Six Hours of Austin last month after qualifying in seventh, so to be starting from the front gives us every chance of winning again. Pedro did a great job, as usual. Let&rsquo;s see what happens tomorrow!&rdquo;<br /> <br />
In the #95 Young Driver AMR Vantage GTE, David Heinemeier Hansson (DN) and Nikki Thiim (DN), who set the fastest GTE Am qualifying lap, were in second place until the final moments of the session when they were just pushed into third by a hundredth of a second.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;That was a great start to our race weekend here in Fuji for all of our cars,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;The #99 team has done a fantastic job to take pole in the GTE Pro class. It&rsquo;s incredibly tough to do and they should be really pleased &ndash; they now need to convert that into a strong result tomorrow.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The Six Hours of Fuji starts at 11am on Sunday 12 October. For more information visit www.fiawec.com.
</p>urn:uuid:0eba0c34-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingAMR NewsPublic NewsAMR Partner Team NewsAston Martin to make Blancpain sprint series debutAston Martin Racing will make its Blancpain Sprint Series debut later this month when it contests the final two rounds of the 2014 season with partner team Beechdean AMR in the V12 Vantage GT3.Tue, 07 Oct 2014 10:14:52 Z<img src="http://cdntbs.astonmartin.com/sitefinity/racing-news/Beechdean-AMR-GT3.jpg" /> <p><em>Gaydon, 7 October 2014</em><em>&nbsp;</em>&ndash; Aston Martin Racing will make its Blancpain Sprint Series debut later this month when it contests the final two rounds of the 2014 season with partner team Beechdean AMR in the V12 Vantage GT3.</p> <p>The new-for-2014 Blancpain Sprint Series has been a great success, with promoters SRO offering teams a series of one-hour long GT races. On the 19 October the penultimate round will take place at Zolder in Belgium with the final two weeks later, on the 2 November, at Baku in Azerbaijan.</p> <p>In both of the events, the Beechdean V12 Vantage GT3 will be driven by Aston Martin Racing works driver Jonny Adam (GB) and ex-F1 test driver Andy Soucek (ES).</p> <p>Despite being better known for his single-seater career, Soucek is no stranger to sportscar racing, having raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2012 and 2013, but it&rsquo;ll be his debut in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.</p> <p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity to drive with such a great team with good results and alongside a factory driver,&rdquo; Soucek comments. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big challenge but I&rsquo;m confident I can do a good job. I know Zolder very well as I&rsquo;ve driven there a lot - I actually did my first GT test there. So, I know the track, I just need to use the practice sessions to learn the Vantage GT3.&rdquo;</p> <p>The V12 Vantage GT3 has had success around the world with numerous Aston Martin Racing teams and drivers, but none more so than with Beechdean AMR&rsquo;s driving duo Andrew Howard (GB) and Jonny Adam, who recorded the car&rsquo;s first race win just weeks after its launch in 2012 and its first national Championship in 2013.</p> <p>&ldquo;At Aston Martin Racing we work very closely with our partner teams, like Beechdean AMR, and this enables us to embark on joint ventures like this,&rdquo; comments Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;We were very keen to have a works team entry in the Blancpain Sprint Series and SRO have been extremely cooperative and supportive in enabling us to get this entry together. We are also grateful to Beechdean AMR for its continued commitment to racing at the highest level.</p> <p>&ldquo;Hopefully this is the start of more Aston Martin Racing works entries in both the Blancpain Sprint and GT Series.&rdquo;</p> <p>Beechdean AMR team owner Andrew Howard added: &ldquo;Having been involved with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 from the beginning it is very exciting for us to see the car racing at the highest level of GT3 racing. It&rsquo;s a good test for the team for future projects.&rdquo;</p> <p>The Zolder round of the Blancpain Sprint Series takes place on 19/20 October. More information can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com">www.blancpain-gt-series.com</a>.</p>urn:uuid:f45f0634-81ba-6ceb-9402-ff00007a0a98RacingPublic NewsAMR NewsCorporate Public NewsMedia Site NewsASTON MARTIN’S DOUBLE-WIN IN AUSTINAston Martin Racing has won both the GTE Pro and GTE Am classes of the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Austin, in a dramatic race that saw the drivers and team deal with torrential rain and hours of darkness.Sun, 21 Sep 2014 07:40:33 Z<p><em>Austin, 20 September 2014 - </em>Aston Martin Racing has won both the GTE Pro and GTE Am classes of the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Austin, in a dramatic race that saw the drivers and team deal with torrential rain and hours of darkness.<br /> <br />
The #97 V8 Vantage GTE driven by Stefan M&uuml;cke (DE) and Darren Turner (GB) started the race from second in the GTE Pro class at 1700hrs local time today (20 September). M&uuml;cke was first in the car and quickly took the class lead in the first lap.<br /> <br />
After an hour, the car pitted and Turner took over to continue the charge. It was, however, a charge cut short when torrential rain came unexpectedly, causing many of the 29 LMP and GT cars to take a spin. Despite being on slicks, Turner and his fellow Aston Martin Racing team-mates safely navigated the 6km-long circuit and, when the red flag was waved, the #97 was returned to the start line as instructed by race control.<br /> <br />
At the restart, Turner continued to lead but he and M&uuml;cke went on to spend the next four hours locked in an intense battle with the #92 Porsche and #51 Ferrari, finally crossing the line and taking the win.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;We have had a difficult season so far,&rdquo; commented Turner. &ldquo;Le Mans was a bitter disappointment for us, so this is great for the team and nice way for Stefan and I to lever what we can out of the championship.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
In the GTE Am class, the #98 Vantage GTE had a difficult qualifying session and started the six-hour race from eighth. However, Pedro Lamy (PT) quickly set to work climbing through the pack and was soon within the top three. Together with Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and Christoffer Nygaard (DN), he tirelessly pressed on and they crossed the line in first place.<br /> <br />
Dalla Lana, who celebrates his first WEC race win, said: &ldquo;What a fantastic feeling to take my first WEC victory. It really is a victory for the team who didn't miss a beat.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
&ldquo;The race will always be special to me too,&rdquo; added Lamy. &ldquo;Not only is it my first WEC victory with Aston Martin Racing but it was exciting from start to finish.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The #95 Young Driver Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE finished in second place but will leave tonight wondering what could have been. Richie Stanaway (NZ), who set the fastest GTE lap of the race, started from second place and, despite losing a few places on the opening lap, was quick to climb back up to take the lead. But, when the red flag waved, the #95 &ndash; now with David Heinemeier Hansson behind the wheel - was already in the pits and, in line with the FIA WEC regulations, it then rejoined the race a lap down.<br /> <br />
Now with the huge challenge ahead, Heinemeier Hansson, Stanaway and Kristian Poulsen (DN) set to work catching the front-runners, over-taking several cars and crossing the line in second place. The result extends the #95 Vantage GTE&rsquo;s lead at the front of the GTE AM drivers and team trophies.<br /> <br />
Also caught out in the pit stop during the red flag, the #99 Craft-Bamboo Racing car piloted by Fernando Rees (BR), Alex MacDowall (GB) and Darryl O&rsquo;Young (HK) finished in sixth place.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to take our first WEC race wins of the season,&rdquo; commented Team Principal John Gaw. &ldquo;It was another very closely fought battle at the front of the GTE Pro class. Strategy worked well for us with the #97 car and, despite refueling taking longer than our rivals, we managed to use our double stint tyre strategy to keep us at the front of the race.<br /> <br />
&ldquo;Yes, we leave here with three podium results, but this by no means suggests that the remainder of the season will be easy. That was a really tough race and we are expecting more of the same as we head to Asia, the Middle East and South America.&rdquo;<br /> <br />
The FIA World Endurance Championship now heads to Fuji International Speedway for the Six Hours of Fuji, which takes place on 12 October.
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